Officer Injured, Two Face Drug Charges After Chase

TAYLOR — About 45 minutes after a Scranton Police officer made a traffic stop just over the city line in Taylor, a handful of officers were left scouring an embankment, looking through the brush for bits of marijuana left over from what had just happened.

The officer pulled over a car for a traffic violation, but as soon as it stopped on Main Street in Taylor, the passenger bolted with a large bag of marijuana in hand.

The officer ran after him, across the street, into the brush, and down the embankment.

Both were hurt, but before Officer Golden was taken to the hospital he searched the car and found more drugs.

The commotion caught the attention of many people in the busy part of Taylor.

“I just saw the one guy sitting down on the curb and just hiding his face, just looked like he didn’t know what was going on. He didn’t want anything do with anybody,” said Jason Colarusso of Taylor.

The driver of the car was arrested at the scene. Police said he will be charged with possession of marijuana.

His passenger was already in an ambulance on the way to the hospital, because it seems, he was trying to destroy the evidence. Police said he was eating the marijuana as he ran away from the officer. He surrendered when the pot upset his stomach.

Scranton police said the suspect who ran from the officer will face drug charges along with charges of resisting arrest and destroying evidence. Officer Golden suffered a dislocated shoulder and some scratches.